Homily by Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP for Ordination of Barbara Hanley as Priest- Oct. 18, 2025, Cincinati, Ohio

 

Beloved companions on the journey, today, we gather in awe and celebration at the sacred moment of Barbara Hanley’s priestly ordination. 

And what better Gospel could accompany us than this—the Beatitudes—not just the “blessings” of Jesus, but a radical manifesto for what it means to live the Gospel fully, courageously, and compassionately. 

These words are not abstract poetry; they are the marrow of ministry, the DNA of discipleship, the heartbeat of ordination.

Jesus begins on a hillside—not in a temple or palace—but in a quiet, elevated place, with those who dared to climb with him. 

This is not the climb of ambition, but the ascent of commitment. Barbara, you have made that climb. 

You have followed the Spirit’s call into a priesthood not defined by titles or institutional sanction, but by Gospel justice, Eucharistic love, and sacramental courage.

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope.”

Joan Chittister tells us that “the function of the prophet is not to soothe the world but to challenge it to change.”

Barbara, your call as a priest is born not from ease, but from a holy restlessness—a longing for the Church to reflect the love, equality, and mercy of Christ. 

You, like so many women prophets before you, have stood at the edge of exclusion—and from that very edge, you have been drawn into the center of God’s dream. That’s where blessing lives.

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you…”

So many women called to priesthood have lost something: belonging in institutional spaces, acceptance in certain circles, even relationships. 

But as Richard Rohr reminds us, “the path of descent is the path of transformation.”

It is precisely in these losses that something greater is revealed—the embrace of the One most dear to you. Barbara, in answering this call, you have not lost your Church—you have helped midwife it into new life.

“You’re blessed when you are content with just who you are—no more, no less.”

Barbara, the gift you bring to the altar today is your whole self—your wisdom, your kindness , your lived experience, your feminine soul, your deep listening heart. That is more than enough. That is sacramental. 

Women priests are not carbon copies of male priests; we are birthing a new model of ordained ministry.

“You’re blessed when you care… when your mind and heart are put right… when you show people how to cooperate…”

These are not just blessings—they are descriptions of your ministry, Barbara. You care with the tenderness of Christ, you seek justice with the fire of the prophets, and you embody the ability to see Christ in all things, and all things in Christ.

And yes, you are blessed even when your commitment to this call provokes persecution.

You walk in the footsteps of women like Mary Magdalene, Hildegard, Thecla, Bridget of Kildare and Joan of Arc. 

With over 300 members worldwide, the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement celebrates your ordination as a powerful witness to the full equality of women and all genders as baptized equals in a more inclusive Church. We are not on the margins—we  are at the very heart of the Church’s renewal.

And so today, heaven applauds.

Barbara, the Beatitudes are not simply what Jesus said—they are what you now live. You are becoming what you bless.

May your priesthood be bold. May your heart remain tender. May your table be wide. And may your life be the Gospel made flesh—again and again—in the lives of those you serve.